He is a gifted grifter. A bank gets wise by the third time someone robs them. He manages to repeatedly rob his supporters with such ease, that they just give it to him.
Trump in 2016: "I'm so rich...I don't need their money."
Trump today: "I need your money!"
You know what would be really surprising? If an "I don't need your money" billionaire actually spent his (or her) own money and refused campaign donations.
I might disagree with their policy positions, but it would be hard to argue that a billionaire who refused campaign donations and spent nothing more than their own money did not have the courage of their convictions.
But that never happens. Ever.
For some reason a candidate who can pay for an entire campaign with the money in their wallet somehow needs donations from people who make less than their own employees.